Different Types of CHYNIIS Food

Living in Malaysia means that food is plenty and all around us. Being one of three main cuisines in our country, Chinese food has made a prominent mark in the local culinary scene. There are, however, several types of Chinese food within Malaysia alone due to the various Chinese ethnic that we come from. The Chinese food in Penang, for example, is heavily influenced by Hokkien due to the majority of Hokkien descent there, while the Chinese food in Sibu is heavily accented by the Foochow style of cooking.

Dried shrimps as appetizer – surprisingly addictive

With such a diverse style of cooking available, it is only sensible that someone came up with a restaurant that would combine the various types of Chinese cuisine around the country. And that, my friends, is how CHYNIIS was born. Pronounced as ‘Chinese’, CHYNIIS aims to present the best of Chinese cuisine around the country, all in one restaurant. Their lengthy menu features dishes from both West and East Malaysia, focusing very much on quality and freshness of ingredients.

CHYNIIS menu

Located within the massive SS2 Mall, CHYNIIS is spacious, comfortable and elegantly decorated with hues of gold and black within.

Classy dining environment

Our dinner that night started with Crispy Pork Belly with Rolled Chargrilled Cuttlefish, a very interesting combination of savoury and slightly sweet flavour due to the caramelized cuttlefish surrounding the crispy pork belly. This was a good choice for a starter and would go extremely well with a mug of beer.

The next dish of Baked Giant River Prawns with ‘Dang Gui’ and Butter had everyone’s eyes wide open in awe. The huge fresh water prawns were extremely aromatic and succulent. Whoever would have thought that a Chinese herb like cordyceps would go so well with prawns? The essence were all in the shell, so we kept sucking in the juices to our heart’s content.

Baked Giant River Prawns with ‘Dang Gui’ and Butter (RM16/100gm)

Juicy and succulent fresh water prawns

When the next dish of Tea Smoked Village Chicken came, there was a distinct and unmistakable smoky smell that was infused with tea. This chicken was uniquely smoked with the fragrant leaves of ‘Pu li’ Tea for well over one hour. The resulting chicken meat was tender, juicy and very aromatic. Since it requires a longer time of preparation, it’s advised to order this in advance to avoid disappointment. And trust me, you wouldn’t want to be disappointed!

Tea Smoked Village Chicken (RM38 – Half, RM70 – Full)

Tender and juicy chicken infused with Puli tea

The Fish Balls with Japanese Potato Glass Noodles was next, with huge and firm balls made from mackerel fish, presented on a bed of silky smooth potato glass noodles. The combination of noodles and fish balls never fail, and in this case, it worked wonders especially with the addition of mushrooms, dried shrimps and ‘choy bo’ in the mix, making it very flavourful and delicious to slurp.

Fish Balls with Japanese Potato Glass Noodles

The presentation of the CHYNIIS House Special Boneless Crispy Chicken was pretty interesting with a few large slices of prawn crackers on top of the chicken slices. Except for the chicken wings, all the other pieces of chicken presented were boneless. And to make it better, only dark meat (chicken’s leg and thigh) were used! So you can imagine the meat to be tender and smooth without the dryness of breast meat. Love it!

The main star of the night though, was the CHYNIIS Sang Har Mee, or Fresh water prawn noodles. As expected, the prawns were huge and fresh, and more importantly, oozing with roe into the glorious gravy. If you look at the gravy closely, you would see the bits and pieces of roe infused within, giving it a very rich and wholesome flavour that one couldn’t get enough of. To top it off, the noodles used were springy with a nice bite. Such an amazing piece of work that left everyone wanting for more. Saucer and I are definitely going back for more of this!

CHYNIIS Sang Har Mee (RM16/100gm)

We love Sang Har Mee!

When the next dish was presented, we almost thought it was dessert time! But we were assured it was really Beef Squares with Beancurd Skin and Puffed Rice. What a unique way to present beef, I thought. The square pieces of beef were delicately wrapped with a thin layer of fragrant beancurd skin, and deep fried to give it a nice crispy exterior while maintaining the tenderness within. Also, the puffed rice on top not only made the ensemble more attractive, it gave the whole combination a nice crunchy finish to it. Very balanced flavours and bite, from a dish apparently inspired from Sibu Chinese cuisine.

Beef Squares with Beancurd Skin and Puffed Rice

Cross section of the beef

At this point, we were already stuffed but our appetite somewhat opened up when we laid eyes on rolls of golden brown CHYNIIS Special Handmade ‘Man Tou’. Shaped to look like sausage rolls, these man tou were exceptionally soft and fluffy, good to eat even on its own. But we hung on to it, for these man tou were made for a greater purpose.

CHYNIIS Special Handmade ‘Man Tou’

And the greater purpose was to dip in this plate of Hot & Spicy Chili Crabs! These were giant crabs filled with roe, hence giving the gravy a golden red hue that was oh-so-inviting. Dip the man tou inside to enjoy the delicious and rich gravy together with the home made fluffy goodness. Not to forget were these huge and meaty crabs which had succulent flesh, also perfect with the roe-infused gravy. If I had it my way, I would have ordered another plate of man tou and finish the gravy off.

Hot & Spicy Chili Crabs

Succulent crab meat

To end the satisfying and cholesterol-laden (but so worth it!) meal, we had Steamed Sweet Potato Cake Crusted with Crispy Oats for dessert. These cute squares of potato cake were not sweet, making them a delight to eat together with the crispy Nestum oat coating.

Steamed Sweet Potato Cake Crusted with Crispy Oats

with the gorgeous Lexie and Aly

The dinner definitely educated me on a thing or two about the Chinese cuisine around Malaysia, about how diverse and colourful it can be. CHYNIIS has pushed the standard of Chinese food up a notch and we hope it will do so for years to come. Thank you Aly for the invitation!

I dunno Chinese food can be so delicious nowadays. The man-tou look so cute and tasty, was impressed with the ‘Beef Squares with Beancurd Skin and Puffed Rice’ also the dessert. Something I don’t see in normal Chinese Restaurant.

i like the name Chyniis, haha, so pun intended, hahaha!! some of their dishes are quite interesting, eg: the crispy pork belly with cuttlefish and also the beef square.. but where is the cripsy pork belly?? i only see cuttlefish~~

On the Star Sunday Metro

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Hailing from the small tropical country of Malaysia, Mei Yee (iamthewitch) has a mission of leaving a mark in people’s heart by giving honest reviews on food, detailed guides on travel plans, and sharing her parenting journey with her newborn Little J. Currently stationed in the beautiful multicultural city of Sydney, Australia, she takes respite from her full-time engineering job by exploring new places to eat and traveling occasionally to neighbouring countries. There’s nothing in the world she loves more than delicious food! And of course, her 2 precious boys. ;) Read More…